Binkley Discovers the BENDing benCH

Recently, Michelle and I were walking in the downtown core of Vancouver, and we came upon a curious sight.

What at first appeared like a small pile of discarded wood, turned out to be something quite different. It was the Bending Bench. It is 37.5 foot long malleable social space, made up of nine sections that are hinged together. The creators tout that its ability to pivot means that it can adapt to different sites and seating arrangements. It was made by Studio Camp  in partnership with VIVA Vancouver and the Vancouver Tool Library.

The pieces of the Bending Bench are made from a wooden box construction with different types of board wood ends laminated onto the sides and each section has four wheels on its bottom. Each section appears to be a stack of different types of wood. The top piece of each section is a beautifully finished plank of wood that is very comfortable to sit on. The whole bench was quite easy to move and since the hinges are varied, the bench can be bent into multiple configurations. The bench is very contextual to British Columbia and its lumber industry.

I chose to make my arrangement al la Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party”.